Hiring Culturally Fit People

A company that is driving its sales team crazy to do the numbers runs the culture of high performance, burn out, higher stress levels, so should we go and ahead hire culturally fit people? Or let's look at a factory scenario where everything is kept locked, but it wants highly trustworthy people. Companies wish to have intelligent and smart resources because it makes their work easy, but the leadership team says "my way or highway," they don't have any autonomy to their work, and neither have any training programs.

Before hiring 'culturally fit' people, we need to ask two essential questions. Firstly, is our current culture aligned to our future purpose? Secondly, what is the right cultural fit?

How much do we understand about culturally fit people? Do we want co-workers who want to hang out with us for a beer? What about an introvert who doesn't want to hang out but is diligent to his work? Do we mean the cultural fit is not having diversity?

Having read a 1000 pages and the diverse perspective, I am concluding the two essential uncompromisable characters of culturally fit people. Firstly, they take pride in the work they do, not merely in the job for an end of the month paycheck. Secondly, they care for others.  While you may have many more parameters, if these two fundamental parameters are missing in the candidate, your workplace will become a mess. Why?

Because the people who work only for a paycheck will need repeated instructions, they are not naturally motivated to do what they are doing. Imagine the implication of such work, how much time will be required and other's time will be wasted to get their work right? I have come across many talented people in the last two decades of leading teams, their arrogance and lack of emotional intelligence make them worse team players, they are in the group only to manage their status quo. Because they don't care, they will find a way to blame someone; they will use every opportunity to put down someone to bask in the glory. 

In reality, all talented people are humble because "a learned man is humble". Remember, an empty vessel makes the most noise. You'll find many people in the organisation who only read the summary of the book and brag a lot more about it - stealing the limelight from an introvert who may have written that book. Imagine having a manager like this? What do you think will happen to the juniors who have worked while their manager steals their credit?

If you wish to make your company culturally fit, you must cover all the aspects of building a culturally fit organisation.

1. Defining the purpose:

Begin with an assessment of what is missing from the current culture that is hindering the effectiveness of the organisation. What kind of employee behaviour is not acceptable? Create a core group which defines the overall purpose of the organisation that is beneficial for the growth of the business as well as determines the essential criteria for selection of candidates.

2. Revisiting policies and processes:

Once the cultural framework is done, draw the connection between the current policies and procedures that are not creating favourable results. And how new systems can be designed to get the desired results.

3. Internalisation:

Authenticity is the key to internalisation of culture; it's not "carrot" or incentive driven management to practise. It must genuinely move people by acting in a manner that matters to people working within the organisation. An organisation must learn the different stages of the employee life cycle. How to create conditions favourable for different stages of an employee, so that they get new direction and assistance from the company to stay productive and committed? 

4. Leadership Transformation:

Our business environment has evolved over the years. However, the perception of the boss has remained the same - someone who orders in a dominated manner. Boss is considered to be someone, whom people are afraid of in the organisation, employee's body language changes in the presence of the boss. How in such an environment, people could thrive? Why can't in the presence of the boss people feel more confident and safe?

In order to get a framework for transforming your company culture and drive organisational growth, write to us on info@ceobottomline.com or visit creativefactor.in/smbservices

In order to get a framework for transforming your company culture and drive organisational growth, write to us on info@ceobottomline.com or visit creativefactor.in/smbservices

About Creative Factor

Founded in 2009, Creative Factor (CF+) is a business communication and consulting firm committed to bring change inside organisations and alter their perceptions outside, by allowing them to thrive in the ocean of possibilities. And we do it with the help of our in-house expertise on business consulting and communication services.